


Honey, Will You Bee Mine?

by casbuddy



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beekeeping, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 20:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1997403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casbuddy/pseuds/casbuddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel squints at him, saying with a gruff monotone voice, “You seem to awfully think a lot about yourself. And you definitely think you’re amusing when you actually aren’t.”<br/>Dean laughs and it takes a moment for Cas to return a smile, like he’s a little shocked that his supposed insult has made Dean chuckle, “Hey,” he reaches over and squeezes Cas’ shoulder, “I am amusing, else you wouldn’t be smiling right now.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Honey, Will You Bee Mine?

**Author's Note:**

> Initial prompt by [dionysocostancestone](http://dionysocostancestone.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.

_**Summer of ‘09** _

“So,” Benny asks conversationally, putting his honey jars in a neat row (though not as neat as Dean’s because he’s apparently not as finicky about this), “Have you heard about the new guy?”

That does cause Dean to stop his staring match with his own honey (he still isn’t sure whether it’s straight or not), “What new guy?” he narrows his eyes at his friend, wondering why he’s only just decided to tell him now when they’ve been here for a good hour.

“He moved states,” Benny tells him, tapping at one of the tops of his honey jars, “He apparently won all of the honey competitions where he used to live.”

Dean scowls, “That doesn’t mean he’s going to win here though,” and he goes back to looking at his honey jars, deciding to hell with it and that he’ll leave them as they are. Benny always teases him about how meticulous Dean is with this stuff but hey, the way Dean’s been doing it has been working for the past three years if his first place medals are anything to go by.

“Speak of the devil,” Benny nods towards someone behind Dean’s shoulder. Dean turns to look, wondering whether he should perhaps be a little more subtle. His worries needn’t matter, the guy is all the way across the small section of the field that the competition is using and he’s too busy talking to a red headed girl to notice that a random guy is staring at him.

The guy looks like a beekeeper, not that Dean really know what a beekeeper should look like, but the guy looks like one for some reason that Dean can’t explain. He’s wearing a dark shirt hidden under a burgundy sweater, topped off with a grey blazer with freaking tweed elbow pads. He’s wearing jeans that seem to make the outfit more casual but Dean still thinks the guy looks like some fancy professor, dark hair and glasses perching on his nose. And with the way he’s carefully laying out honey on his own stand tells Dean that Benny hadn’t been joking when he’d said that he’d won all the competitions in his old town. There’s something about the guy that screams out that he makes sure he's the best in everything he does.

“They’re in your category so good luck,” Benny tells him wryly, lightly shoving Dean on the shoulder as he leaves him to go catch up with another one of his friends, Dean doesn’t know which because he’s too busy staring at the new guy.

Before he quite knows what he’s doing, he’s ambling over to the guy, “Hi,” he smiles when he gets there, the guy’s eyes widening at him and  _jesus_ , his eyes are an impossible blue, “Heard you were new around here.”

“I-“ the man nods, adam’s apple bobbing as he looks at Dean, like he hadn’t expected anyone to come and talk to him. The girl who he’d been speaking to beforehand has gone somewhere, maybe to go back to the car to get something or other, who knows. And out of fucking nowhere as the guy blinks at him, Dean inwardly hopes that the girl isn’t his girlfriend.

“I’m Dean,” he brings up a hand, wondering why the fuck he’s just hoped that a random stranger doesn’t have a girlfriend. No, not just a random stranger,  _competition._

“Castiel,” the guy takes Dean’s hand and shakes it and at Dean’s nose scrunch he adds, “Most people call me Cas, those who aren’t my family that insist on using my full name.”

“Got ya,” Dean grins, squeezing Cas’ hand before he drops it awkwardly, pondering whether Cas’ eyes have some weird fucking ability that can turn people tongue tied or something. Castiel doesn’t  _seem_ to realise the suffocating (and more than embarrassing) effect on Dean but he does tilt his head at him expectantly, silently asking him as to why he’s came to say hello.

Dean manages to sort out his brain, even with those bright blue eyes on him (and fuck, the rest of Cas’ face is just as gorgeous; how does this guy even exist?), “So I heard you’re a pretty good beekeeper,” he tries to say as flippantly as possible, though it’s kind of difficult to do that when a beautiful guy is looking at him

Cas shrugs, “I’m okay.”

Dean narrows his eyes at him and crosses his arms, “Really? Cause a little birdy told me that you kept winning wherever you used to live,” he raises an eyebrow and when Cas just stares at him blankly over the rims of his glasses he adds, “Well,” he grins, “Don’t worry, you’re not going to have to deal with all that trouble here. You’ve got no chance of winning.”

That does cause a reaction from Cas and he asks, bemused more than anything, “I don’t?”

“Nope,” Dean winks at him, “Because you’re in my category and I  _always_ win.”

Castiel looks like he’s trying not to smile when he says cryptically, “We shall see.”

Dean snorts, “Is that the best fighting talk you got?”

Castiel looks at him squarely, “I don’t need fighting talk, not when I have my honey to speak for itself.”

Dean pretends to be surprised, exaggerating it slightly, “Wow, your honey speaks? Now that  _is_ something.”

Castiel squints at him, saying with a gruff monotone voice, “You seem to awfully think a lot about yourself. And you definitely think you’re amusing when you actually aren’t.”

Dean laughs and it takes a moment for Cas to return a smile, like he’s a little shocked that his supposed insult has made Dean chuckle, “Hey,” he reaches over and squeezes Cas’ shoulder, “I am amusing, else you wouldn’t be smiling right now.”

Castiel instantly frowns and he pulls his glasses off, they’re obviously for reading rather than all the time, “I don’t think you’re-“

He’s cut off when the redhead appears and now that she’s actually facing him, Dean realises its Anna. For some reason that makes him sigh in relief when he remembers that Anna is happily in a relationship with Ruby from his little brother’s lawyer firm. Shit, why does Dean keep caring about the random guy’s love life? Sure, he’s cute but that’s it, they’ve known each other for mere seconds and the guy doesn’t even seem to  _like_ him.

“Hey Anna,” Dean says chirpily, leaning back from the table and straightening himself up.

“Hey Dean,” Anna smiles at him, her calm exterior in place as always which makes Dean think she’d be good as a therapist or something, “I see you’ve met my brother.”

Dean’s eyebrows spike, “Your brother?” he turns to Cas, “You’re Anna’s brother?”

“Yes, I think that’s why Anna said so Dean,” Castiel points out.

Dean rolls his eyes, “God, you don’t have to be an ass just because you know I’m going to win.”

Castiel blows an irritated breath, turning his glance to Anna as he explains, “Dean seems to think he’s going to win.”

Anna smiles as she looks at the two of them, “Well, Dean has won the past three years. He knows how to keep those bees in check.”

Castiel glares at his sister like she’s betrayed him, “Well,” he shuffles his honey, “That was before I was here.”

“And  _I’m_  the one who thinks a lot of himself,” Dean mutters with a challenging eyebrow raise.

“I heard that,” Castiel replies curtly, mirroring Dean’s stance and crossing his arms.

“Uh, guys,” Anna comments, looking part amused, part confused, “Perhaps you should leave the flirti-“

“Hey Dean!” Benny interrupts whatever Anna is about to say. Dean turns to look over his shoulder, nodding at Benny in acknowledgement when he shouts at him from across the field to get his ass back over there because it’s about to start.

“Your boyfriend is calling you,” Castiel tells him dryly.

“Not my boyfriend, I prefer the studious type,” Dean flashes a grin. Something in Castiel’s face changes at that, pink hitting his cheeks for reasons that Dean can’t quite make out, “Anyway,” Dean keeps grinning, “See you Anna,” he gives her a half wave and he turns to Cas and smiles even wider, making sure he changes his tone into mocking, “Hope you get second place Cas, it’s the highest you’re going to get,” he doesn’t wait for Cas’ retort and instead turns on his heel and walks back to his own place setting.

Throughout the whole competition he can see Cas’ stare on him and Dean just grins back, even waving at him a few times which only seems to make Castiel more flustered, turning around to mutter something angrily to his sister, probably complaining about Dean.

When the judges have to make deliberations, the contestants are all carted off to another section of the field, all of them squeezed under one gazebo. Dean just makes it to be one more chance to taunt Cas, joking with him yet again about how he’s going to win and Cas is going to lose, much to Cas annoyance.

It doesn’t take too long until they’re all called back to the main area of the field and everyone goes to their own devices, rushing to see whether their honey has placed or not. Dean feels a great big ton of pride when he sees that yet again, he’s managed to get first prize in his area of the competition.

He ignores Benny’s congratulations and twirls to look over at Cas, who is looking down at his second prize badge with a squint. He must notice he’s being stared at because he looks up and catches Dean’s eye. Dean points down at his first prize badge and mouths knowingly, “Told you.”

Cas face flushes and Dean snorts, but nearly falls over when Benny shoves him in the shoulder.

“Ow, what the hell was that for?” Dean yelps.

Benny gives him a tired look, “You’ve been ignoring me for the past five minutes to stare at-“ he tries to find who Dean had been looking at and it’s obvious who seeing as Cas is still looking over, “Stare at the new guy,” Benny adds, sounding confused, “What’s your deal with him?”

“Nothing,” Dean protests. He looks back over at Cas and grins cheekily. After a beat of Cas staring at him with narrowed eyes, his face breaks out into a smile, albeit a small one, which matches Dean’s grin when Dean winks at him, though Cas quickly rolls his eyes at him, like he’s already tired of Dean and it’s only been one afternoon.

Benny makes a sound that indicates that he doesn’t exactly believe Dean’s explanation.

“Just some friendly banter,” Dean adds, still looking over at the new guy who is indeed still staring back.

It isn’t until Dean is driving back home with his first place honey in the backseat that he realises that it hadn’t actually been friendly banter- he’d been  _flirting._

Well….  _Shit._

 

* * *

 

_  
**Summer of ‘10** _

By the time the next honey competition occurs, Dean has seen Cas about fifty billion times. They live in a small town, small enough to see everyone and know their business. And Dean does see Cas  _everywhere,_ from the supermarket to the bar and one time, even the dentist. From the last competition, Dean has since found out that Cas had moved into this tiny un-evolving town to be closer to his sister and he’s currently working at the local school as a teacher alongside his beekeeping. He’s also found out that Cas is allergic to peanuts,  _hates_ the cold and mornings (Dean once bumped into him one morning when they were both heading to work and Cas had been the least responsive that Dean had ever seen him), constantly wears tweed if he can help it, and a hell of a lot more things that Dean could quite literally sit there and list for a good day or two. And oh, the most important thing that Dean has learned? He has a massive stinking crush on the guy.

Dean doesn’t even know where it had  _come_ from and it’s made all the worse that he can’t seem to shake it off no matter how hard he tries. And as soon as Cas is out of his mind, he ends up seeing him or someone seems to bring him up or Dean sees something that reminds him of him, like the coffee shop on the corner that Cas seems to visit every single day because he’s always holding one every time Dean sees him. And jesus, Dean has it  _bad._

The problem is there’s never a good time to just come straight out with it and ask the guy out. He always meets Cas in the most inopportune times for that; one or both of them are either with other people, or either of them are in a rush, and Dean can’t exactly ask the guy out when he’s just about to have a wisdom tooth pulled out can he?

 And has Dean mentioned that he’s a big fat coward who’ll make up any excuse that he can? Because yeah, there’s that too.

So when Dean sees Cas settling down his honey on his table, Dean feels a mixture of delight and pure utter terror, because Dean has decided that today is going to be the day,  _no matter what._

“Hey Cas,” he grins as he bounds over towards him.

Castiel looks up and smiles, “Hello.”

They’re initial, ah, ‘conflict’ has long been forgotten, though Dean never lets Cas forget that he’d won and not Cas. Now they are what Dean considers to be friends; they don’t have each other’s phone number and they don’t meet up with intent (apart from when it’s groups of friends and they both happen to be there), but when they see each other on the sidewalk they’ll stop and chat. Their banter hasn’t quite disappeared though, even though Dean now sees it as flirting, even though Cas doesn’t seem to have quite gotten the memo. Cas of course banters back as best as he can (though he does seem to be lacking the skills) but Dean figures it’s just for the sake of it, not because he knows that Dean is crushing on him desperately.

“Ready to lose again this year?” he asks, giving Anna a quick wave when she looks up from her phone.

“I don’t need to be ready for that because I’m going to win,” Cas replies knowingly.

“Why, is your honey speaking for itself again?” Dean teases, “Or are they going to dance this year because that really  _would_ be something!”

Castiel scowls at Dean, “Will you ever let that go?”

“Nope,” Dean tells him with a grin.

“I’m still going to win this year Dean, I don’t have much competition,” he lifts his chin proudly, though he’s trying to hide a smile.

Anna turns her attention from her phone to narrow her eyes at her brother, “Alright, stop flirting in front of your sister,” she frowns, “its weird Castiel.”

Dean splutters and Castiel gazes at Anna, confused, “We’re not flirting!” he argues back, though his cheeks are turning an interesting shade of red.

Dean frowns at Cas’ comment because Dean  _had_ been flirting, even though Castiel  _never_ seems to realise it, “Yeah,” he says, “We’re definitely not flirting. I’m not going to flirt with the enemy.”

Anna only sighs at that, long and suffering before she goes back to her phone. Dean gives Cas one more wink and then he’s off back to his own stand, trying to leave quickly before his own face turns a bright crimson, as bright as the strawberries in the strawberry competition that are on the other side of the field.

This year, though Dean isn’t much surprised, Castiel wins. While Dean should be distraught and annoyed that his title is being passed onto someone else, he can’t help but smile when he sees Cas’ face light up when he sees the first place badge on his table. And the fact that he prefers Cas’ delighted face over first prize of his beloved honey competition tells Dean a heck of a lot.

“Hey Cas,” Dean jogs to catch up with Cas who’s taking the last of his honey back to his car, “Wait up a sec.”

Castiel stops and turns around but so does Anna who presses her lips together tightly, “I’m going to leave you two lovebirds alone. I don’t think I can handle any more of your sugary, soppy talks,” and with that, she takes the crate of honey from Castiel’s hands and stalks off to the car.

“Hello,” Castiel says with a smile, pointedly ignoring Anna like a pro.

“I just wanna say congrats,” Dean awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he smiles back at him.

Cas blinks, clearly surprised, “Really?”

“Yeah, really,” Dean rolls his eyes, “You dumbass.”

Castiel tips his head at him, looking at Dean like he’s a puzzle piece that can’t be solved, much like how Cas normally looks at him to be honest, “I thought you would be unhappy,” Cas comments.

“What, because you won?” Dean frowns, wondering whether Cas had taken Dean’s banter to heart and thought that Dean wouldn’t actually want him to win.

“Because you lost,” Cas teases with a know it all smirk.

“Fuck you,” Dean grins, gently shoving Cas’ shoulder, “No,” he tells Cas affectionately, “It’s good to have some healthy competition and next year I’m gonna kick your ass.”

Castiel doesn’t seem so sure, “We shall have to see about that.”

“You’re getting better with your comebacks Cas,” Dean remarks proudly which makes Cas rolls his eyes, but at the same time puff up like he’s been given the best compliment in the world.

Dean looks down at the jar of honey that’s enclosed tightly in his hands and he mumbles, suddenly feeling terribly nervous but knowing he has to do this now, he’d promised himself to do it today, “Um, so I want to give you something, y’know, like a present, for winning.”

Castiel’s eyes go wide, “You don’t have to do that.”

“No, I want to,” Dean swaps the honey from palm to palm nervous as he explains, “Now this is only second prize worthy honey and you have a whole batch of first prize honey in your trunk so mine is weak and inferior compared to that one,” Dean jokes, matching Cas’ eye crinkles, “But here.”

Castiel takes it with a shy smile, “Dean, thank you.”

Dean thinks to his plan and suddenly realises that Cas isn’t going to see it as charming or cute, he’s probably going to find it needy, desperate and pathetic and oh god, Dean can’t reach over and grab the honey from Cas’ hands because that would be rude, but the guy is turning around the jar so he’ll be able to see the label and oh god, abort the mission,  _abort._

“Um, so I’m going to go,” Dean says quickly, terrified that this is all going to go terribly wrong and he’s going to be some embarrassed fool who won’t be able to turn up to the competition next year because he’ll be the laughing stock of the entire thing.

He goes to leave but he’s too slow because a bubble of laughter escapes Cas’ throat as he reads out the label, “ _Will you bee mine?”_ he looks up at Dean, still laughing, bright eyes fucking shining, “Dean.”

“I’m sorry, it’s stupid,” Dean mumbles, wishing that a giant fucking meteor could fall down and kill him right this instant.

Cas’ face changes when he sees Dean’s embarrassment and he stops laughing, “Dean,” he says, softer this time and he reaches over and lightly grabs Dean’s wrist and before Dean knows what’s happening, he’s being pulled into a searing kiss.

“Is that a yes?” Dean asks weakly.

 

* * *

 

  
 _**Summer of ‘12** _

 “Dean,” Castiel complains as he’s dragged up the hill, “The competition is down there, not up here, just like the past three years.”

“I know, I’m not stupid,” Dean says, though he’s smiling when he says it, “I just want to show you something.”

That only infuriates Castiel more, “Show me  _what?_ ”

“Oh,” Dean announces, coming around the back of Cas, wrapping one arm around Cas’ waist, the other coming up to cover Cas’ eyes, “We’re nearly up top.”

“Dean,” Cas squawks, his own hand coming up to cover Dean’s, “What are you doing?”

“It’s a surprise!” Dean tells him, slowly guiding Cas forward.

“I don’t like surprises, you know that,” Cas mutters uncertainly.

“You’ll like this one,” Dean tells him with assured confidence, though his insides are all over the place as he keeps thinking of the what if’s.

“Hmm,” is all Castiel does to reply.

They finally reach the top of the hill and Dean looks down, sighing in relief when he sees that everything is in order and he can go through with it all. He’d had to recruit everyone from the competition: the judges, the competitors and then, Dean had had to force his brother and some of his other family members to come help out too, not quite trusting anyone else to make sure everything was just right.

“Okay, I’m going to take my hand away but keep your eyes closed for me.”

“Dean,” Cas whines.

“Just promise me okay?” Dean presses a kiss to Cas’ cheek, hoping that it’ll cheer Cas up a little. He’s hoping the next thing he’s going to do will cheer Cas up  _tremendously_ though.

“Fine,” Cas promises.

“Okay,” Dean drops his hand, looking at Cas to make sure he’s not peeking, “Hang on a sec,” Dean says, moving to the back of Cas and putting himself in position, “Open your eyes.”

Dean knows the exact moment that Cas opens his eyes because Cas laughs, light and airy as he looks down to see that everyone in the competition has arranged the tables of endless honey to spell out  _‘Will you bee mine?’._ It had taken a hell of a lot of effort and endless attempts to get it right but Dean knows it’s all worth it when Cas honest to god  _giggles,_ “Dean,” he keeps his gaze locked on the sight below him, “I can’t believe you did this!” he laughs some more, a delighted happy laugh that’s music to Dean’s fucking ears, “But,” he comes around to find Dean, “I’m already yours you-“

His speech is cut off into a gasp when he sees Dean down on one knee, holding out a ring that had taken him  _weeks_ to choose.

“ _Dean.”_

“How about it honey?” Dean asks, ignoring the wobble to his voice when he uses Cas’ pet name, “Wanna marry me?”

The fact that Cas throws himself on top of Dean and they actually start to roll down the hill is a resounding  _yes._

 

* * *

 

_**Summer of ‘13** _

“Dean, was it really necessary for you to dress our daughter as a bee?” Castiel asks, frowning at Dean over his glasses.

“We’re at a  _honey_ competition Cas,” Dean bounces Tilly in his arms, “And look at how adorable she looks,” Dean grins at the fluffy bee costume their daughter’s wearing, the fluffy hat even having little antennas on them, “Go on baby girl,” he turns a little so Tilly is facing Castiel more, “Show daddy how cute you look.”

Tilly blows a raspberry as a response. Dean laughs and looks up at Castiel to find that he’s smiling too, eyes fond as he reaches down to press a kiss on their tiny daughter’s forehead.

“I’m thinking,” Dean accepts Cas’ kiss on the lips with a smile, “her cute little face is going to help give us some extra points.”

“Dean,” Cas says, mock scandalised, “Don’t tell me you’re exploiting our daughter so we’ll win a honey competition,” he wraps his arm around Dean tightly, nuzzling his nose against Dean’s jaw like he’s forgotten they’re in public, not that Dean minds.

“No, course not,” Dean says flippantly, “We’re going to win on our honey alone.”

“Dean,” Cas looks doubtful, placing his fingers near to Tilly, who grabs Cas’ little finger with her fist, “I don’t know whether we’re going to win this year, we’ve been-“ he smiles when Tilly decides to start nibbling on Cas finger, “distracted.”

“Are you kidding?” Dean snorts, “We’re the reigning champs,” Tilly makes a content noise and Dean grins, “See, Tilly agrees, don’t you sweetheart?”

Tilly makes another noise, blinking her dark eyes up at her parents, looking confused as to why she has their attention. Her confusion quickly turns into joy when she has a first place prize in her chubby hands, stuffing it in her mouth happily in the car seat as Dean drives his family home.

 

 

 


End file.
